Going barking mad!!!

So what have I been up to? In my pitiful attempt to organise my life, my craft time and my craft room I am still trying to get my act together.

Last night I sat down with some Design team stamps and images and got a little supply cut and reading to go, this morning I have coloured a few...but oh no...why only do one at a time...let's save time and do two...or three....or four!!!!

The images aren't complete as you can see, I still have eyes, nose and collars to do depending on the card colouring etc...but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I have also moved another step closer to getting my craft room sorted, darling hubby put a few shelves up for me, not the brackets I wanted, but beggars cannot be choosers and I would rather have these than have had to wait a few more days.

Now all I need to do is COMPLETELY re-organise and sort my stash!!! EEEEK!

What a funny day!

I am tired, just drained from Christmas and the children constantly bickering. Amelia has been quite "challenging" shall we say! I am trying to fight off some bug that has been hovering around for weeks but not really materialising...leaving me feeling...well...just YUK! Emotionally and physically YUK!

Some very kind person sent me a Christmas card with a voucher in it so spend at Charmed Cards and Crafts so I dithered around yesterday and placed my order, spent my voucher...and ahem...a little bit more! What a lovely boost this morning when the postie knocked at my door with my goodies. What fantastic service-thank you so much!!!

Here is what I got:

Some K & Co

Some Imaginisce

and some All My Merories.

Oh my goodness - what to try first!!!! What a dilemma!

After opening my wonderful new stash, I had to leave it as we had booked tickets to the cinema. Amelia didn't really enjoy the film as much as she has done in the past and I couldn't really concentrate on the film as I was trying to keep Amelia quiet and happy. Came out and then the children started squabbling again as soon as we were in the car. By the time we got home I was feeling pretty fed up ! Walked into the hallway, postie had been again leaving me with two stamps from Toodles & Binks...whoo hoo...Thank you Kay!!

Chris was laughing, he stepped to oneside and sitting in the hall was a large box, a Dyson box, and stuck to the side was a verse!

To Adele & Chris

We're sorry this is late

For the sale we had to wait

You can now hoover through like a breeze

and stay up off your knees

lots of love Mum & Dad!

xxxxxx

Well, what did I do....I cried!!

(Ages ago, when I was having a particually hectic week, Mum came over while I was at work, without me knowing and hoovered the front room for me. She commented that she couldn't get it to work very well and I explained the best way to get it to work was not to use it as an upright, but use the hose....I explained I got down on my hands and knees. Not good at all for my back or my knees especially now we have the extension- I simply cannot hoover through the whole house the same day!)

Chris and Jack have gone out again now, waiting patiently for them to come back so we can have a cuppa and a cuddle....pull myself together a bit...and then try out the new hoover!!

Sad life I lead!

Dottie's World - Wishing you well!

It was Louise who set the challenge over on Dottie's World this week;

"This week the challenge is in the theme;After all the over indulgence you've most likely had over Christmas (a few poorly tummies and heads I guess?) The theme this week is Get Well Soon .You don't have to use those words, but it has to be aimed at cheering someone up or wishing them well . If you don't know anyone who's poorly your creation could be wishing them well in their new job or a new home...basically, lots of positive vibes in this card please AND of course a Charmed Download. Nice and easy?"

With the chaos that Christmas causes and all the additional things that somehow get slotted into an already hectic day I was running a bit behind with my crafting (nothing new there!) In fact I didn't sit down til late last night to do this challenge and I was stumped, copmpletely mojo-less!
I decided to settle for the "obvious" and use Bed Dottie from the Dottie at Home collection.
I printed 4 copies, a quick bit of colouring and then layered the image.

NOW, I have a few other ideas!!!! Just typical!

Don't forget, join in with our challenge this week and be in the running to be our Guest Designer for January!

A new ORGANISED Dingle?

LOL...hmm I wish but I don't think so. I made this card ready for my slot over on Dottie's World today....and it's an order for APRIL!!!

Juliet image from the Girls about Town Collection.

Am I there yet?

LOL....not a chance!! My mum and dad had the children for a couple of hours whilst Chris and me got some last minute shopping, back home and wrapping and writing cards in order of who we are seeing next!!! EEEK! Scraping through by the skin of me teeth!

Just finishing off a few Design team projects for the next few days then we are cracking open a bottle of something and spending the evening wrapping pressies.

Here is my latest project from DewDrop Craftz.

I used So Pretty - I love this stamp, a great excuse to so all girlie and get the glitter out and the little cat always makes me laugh too!!!

Another last minute card!!!

Mother and Father In Law are coming down tonight so I have made another last minute card. Still want to personalise it but wanted to get it done and ready just in case I don't 't get a chance later.

I used the sketch from this weeks Friday Sketchers blog. So glad I stamped and cut all those images back in October!!!

Serious Stash Alert !!!

Still playing catch up on all the things I should have told you about!!! But better late than never...that's my motto!

Karen has MEGA MEGA CHRISTMAS BLOG CANDY over on her blog and more on the Charmed site so pop over and be in with a chance of some seriously scrummy stash!!!

The candy is up for grabs until the end of the month so still plenty of time!!

Blog Award catch up time!!

A little while back the lovely Claire gave me an award, but my life, as chaotic as it is, didn't give me enough time to blog about it...not that I have time now really but I did promise myself I would catch up on the awards I have been given!!!!

Thank you Claire, I will show it with pride and pass it on when I get the next opportunity!

Mix and match!!!

It was Nicola's turn over on Dottie's World to set the challnge this week:

"Well....Its nearly upon us, Christmas 2008! What a year it has been, the good,the bad and the Ugly!!!My challenge this week is going for the end of our festive juices.RED,GREEN AND GOLD....Ofcourse it doesnt have to be festive, it can be any card or thing you like, as long as you use a downloads from Charmed Cards and Crafts!! Loads to choose from! Also i'd like you to use as much RED,GREEN & GOLD as you can."

Oh dear, what a dilemma. I so wanted to use the "Juliet" image from the new Girl about Town collection and I had her printed, cut out and sitting on my desk all waiting to go...but I knew I HAD TO make Christmas cards!! SO- I did a bit of mixing and matching and came up with this!

I used the fence background and Juliet from the Girl about town download and the Xmas Tree from the Christmas bundle. A few Prismacolor pencils, a dash of liquid pearls, liquid applique...and of course some glittler glue and glossy accents and it was done.

I SO ENJOYED MAKING THIS CARD- Thank you for such a wonderful new collection!!

Am I alone?

Or is there anyone else still making Christmas cards...please don't tell me I am the only one not organised again!!!LOL. Today I haven't made anything that I can show you yet so I thought I'd catch up on a few snippets of crafting I did a while back and never got a chance to blog!!!

Things over at DewDrop Crafts are all getting set for a wonderful 2009. Nikki has just moved so things have been a bit quiet of late but the Design Team has been working on a few little projects.

The first was using the Kinoko Village mushroom characters. Nikki set us all a challenge to use these stamps but there were no cards allowed!!! EEk....my mojo flew out the window and I thought of kitchen notice boards, shopping jotters, altered pots.......but gathering together all the bits and bobs I needed and working around other things that life throws at you just didn't really happen - so I went back to the drawing board and created these!

Next I made a little banner for a 40th Birthday, thought this would be quite good to use on a card too!!

You can see some more ideas from the rest of the Design Team here!

The next stamp has been sent out to the Design Team and I am eagerly waiting to see what creations have been made...got a few more projects to work on with this stamp but here is a tiny taster of what I have done so far!

Back again soon!!!

Last child free day....

....and I am so relaxed when I should be panicking. I have hardly sent any cards out and my little box of stock is badly in need of a boost! Still after seeing Amelia in her Christmas performance this morning I am on cloud nine! I am SO proud of her...even if she kept beaming at me in the audience and waving!! She was amazing to watch, I am jsut so saddened to think what the world has come to when we can't even take pics of what should be memorable moments!

Still enough of the waffle, I will show you a few thing I have been up to...still got loads to show lots of blogging to catch up on.

These are 4 cards I made yesterday, I tried to make a few "in bulk" to save time on making up, design time, dithering around basically...but boy did my hands ache after all that cutting out one after another!!! I used Dottie in the snow from the Christmas Bundle

With the launch of GIRLS ABOUT TOWN a fab new download collection, I abandoned the Christmas cards I should be making to finish off a card using "Nicola!" What a great collection-thanks Lou!!!

Made myself a promise....

.....that I WILL catch up on some of the Blog awards that have kindly been given to me. It might not happen straight away but it WILL happen...might even take a couple of installments as I am SUPPOSED to be crafting! LOL.

Today I have received this award from the lovely Michele who is currently our Guest Designer over at Dottie's World. A huge thank you Michele...I need a bit of kick to keep me going and this has worked a treat!

"The rules are to give it to five others, who shall give it to five others.. You shall link the one you got it from, and also the ones you give it to:) And let them know. And there is more... You have to write down five things you are addicted to...."

OMG...this is why I never get around to replying to some of these awards...I am SUCH A DITHERER!!! Right 5 things I am addicted to;

1, Crafting of course.
2, Indian food...I love it.
3, wine, chocolate, crisps......these are my little treats at the end of a stressful day!
4, my children....time is so precious and they grow so quickly!
5, my darling hubby Chris-he is a darling, always supportive and I love him to bits!!!

Next is the really hard bit...how do I possibly choose only 5 blogs? I will be back later with another award I haven't yet responded to so I will just make a start on some of the wonderful and inspiring bloggers out there!

1. Louise - I know Michele has already given this to you but your designs are such a big part of my crafting!

2. Karen - the detail and texture in your work amazes me!

3. Maddy - her work is stunning and she always makes me laugh!

4. Hazel - she is a strength and inspiration, amazing lady, amazing attitude!

5. Jennie - I can blame Jennie for my change of heart towards stamping this year as it was this time last year I entered her competition and won myself £50 of stamps. I think that this opened up a few crafty doors for me and I now sit very proudly on 3 Design Teams! Thank you Jennie.

Right best do some crafting...LOL be back again later.

Christmas Chaos!!!

How come I started making Christmas cards SO long ago - you'd have thought I would be prepared but oh no, not me! LOL.

I am sorry I have not blogged for a while - just had so much to do! Last week was the start of the chaos really, with Jack being poorly Monday, Jack and Amelia being poorly on Tuesday. As well as fitting work in between too and crafting whenever I got a few spare momnets.

I had Jack's school Carol Concert on Thursday evening and oh wow, I was one very proud mum. He was dressed in a black waistcoat, glittery bow tie, cardboard top hat, with silver tinsel around...carried a cane and was one of a small group of children in his year selected to dance. Oh my god, he was my little Fred Astaire - I couldn't take my eyes off of him!

After that it was one mad rush to get home and pack bags as we were off to Russia with Love on Friday night and the children were off to their Nan & Grandad's for the weekend straight after school on Friday. BUT when does anything ever go to plan - school rang Friday lunchtime-Jack was poorly again and I had to rush in a pick him up. Half the school have gone down with the Flu Epidemic so I dosed him up and got him comfy on the settee while I rushed around. After a lot of talk and umming and arring, the In-Laws still wanted the children so we did get our night out.

Sunday morning, Jack took another turn for the worst and we rushed up to the In-laws to collect them both early.........and only today has he gone back to school. Just waiting for the infants to ring now as Amelia was really grumpy last night, laid in this morning (That NEVER happens) and had a bit of a grotty nose! I just hope she will make it to the end of the week as she still hasn't done her Christmas performance where her class are doing a snowflake dance- and after I cut out all those felt sizzix snowflakes and loving sewed them on with a little sequin and seed bead...I so want to see her perform! Fingers crossed.

Waffle over lets get on and catch up on a bit of crafting....got lots to show!!!!

Panic is starting to set in!!

And there was me thinking I was so much more organised this year...well let's face it, this time last year the extension had only JUST finished and we were laying our dining room floor a few days before Christmas so we could put the tree up!!! LOL

We have most of our pressies, I am buying some cards!!! Have to make some more, write all of ours, write all of Amelia's, wrap everything, do the last odds and ends of shopping, catch up on some design team work, attend Christmas Concert, make a snowflake costume, attend Infants Assembly, make up hamper for raffle, pack kiddies bags as they are staying at Nanny & grandad's house for the weekend..................shall I go on!!! eeeek, better stop there before panic mode really kicks in and I do my headless chicken impression!


Anyway, after having poorly children off school for two days, I was relieved they were both well enough to go back to school today. Although I was working this afternoon it did give me a little bit of crafting time this morning - in fact I have now finished of a card order apart from the inserts, I will be crossing that off my list tomorrow hopefully after a bit of retail therapy ready for our big night out!



I do have a few cards to show you if you are still with me after all my waffle.


The first is a sparkly Dottie Creation using Ice Skating Dottie from the Christmas Download Bundle. One teacher's card complete - 7 more to go!!!

The next is the last card from the personalised order, a Christmas card for twin baby boys with an older brother and the lady wanted all of it incorporated into the card if possible. I took inspiration from two challenge for this one;

This week's Sketch Saturday and the Countdown to Chrismas Challenge- Day 2 over on Crafts by Carolyn where you need to create something using red, gold and green!

Right, crafting over with for today, off for a long soak in the bath. Tomorrow is another day!

Mood swing Monday!

As I face another week of school issues with Amelia my first job on my to-do list was the phone the LEA to find out exactly where Amelia was on the waiting list for the special school. I was told there is not a waiting list, they call it a consideration list and Amelia is due to be discussed in either Term 3 (Jan-Feb) or Term 4 (Feb- Apr) with a POSSIBLE placement in September 09!

The situation is that her mainstream school, despite all my efforts, are just not able to differentiate for her. Perhaps reading some of the inclusion resources online or that I have provided them with would have been a starting point but I get the very destinct impression, they are not willing to make it work as they simple don't want her there anymore. I have been told that not one child with Down Syndrome has ever gone on to Mainstream Junior school in Medway, well fighting for 3 years to get her supported didn't actually give her a flying start did it. Even when the LEA backed down and agreed to Statemnet her the school sat on it for about 5 months before the support was ever put into place.

Not knowing which way to turn or which battle to fight first, my mind is in turmoil. I am not prepared to send my daughter to a school who simply don't want her there so the mad ideas of pulling her out of school, MP, newpapers......the lot are prancing around my little brain.

So much for a relaxing Christmas break where I can actually sit back and enjoy my children..yet another big black cloud will be hovering over us.

Despite my solemn mood, I got home to a lovely email form the wonderful Jo! She has featured some of my work over on Inspirational today! Absoloutely gob-smacked and honoured- THANK YOU SO MUCH JO! You have managed to lighten my day a little!!!!

Textural - Ribbon and Lace!

Hello everyone, it's my turn once again to set a challenge over on Dottie's World - how quickly time flies!

As you may notice by looking on my blog- I love texture so I set my challenge around that. I want to see loads of texture and as well as using at least one Charmed Download there must also be some ribbon and/or lace on your creations. Pop over to Dottie's to see what the Design Team have come up with and join in the fun....loads of wonderful, scrummy texture.

I left the card order that I was working on and decided to make my darling hubby a card- his card usually get's left right to the last minute. I was being rather devious really as by giving this card to him, I can keep it myself after Xmas and pop it in my little box...that way I never have to part with my scrummy new lace!!

I used the adorable Scruff from the Animal Magic download collection and the pile of presents are from the Christmas Bundle. The paper is Dream Street- Art Nouveau.

Card number 5!

Slowly, slowly...bit by bit I am getting there. Where exactly I do not know!!LOL

What with work and school meetings this week, I had today, my only "free day" earmarked to play catch up on some housework and crafting. And what happens, Jack sat there last night after dinner and told me it was his class assembly today and that he had one of the main parts-narrator!!!! EEK, not being one to let him down, I went to school this morning with the intention of staying to watch. Half way up the path I noticed that all the other children in Infants are not wearing school uniform...double EEK!! I had missed a letter in Amelia's bag (very easily done as if she gets them before I do they get written on, drawn on or rolled up as little treasure maps!! )
I needed to provide a contribution of food towards a raffle hamper and in return Amelia could wear her own clothes.

Dropped children into school, rang Junior office to see what time assembly was, rushed back home, grabbed some pringles and a jelly (!!!) out of Old Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, stuffed some clothes into a bag, a slurp of tea....and a mad rush back to the infants to drop of the clothes, followed by a dash to the juniors to watch Jack in his assembly. Phew......it wasn't even 10am and I was shattered.

Jack did beautifully in his assembly- one very proud mummy!

After that it was back home to "catch up" but when, oh when, does that ever happen. I chatted to a friend for a while about the awful meeting yesterday and where I go next. Then I had several phone calls to make about education, therapy...health...etc. By the time that was over I still have one very messy house and just one little card completed and off my to do list.

Here it is:

I started it last night ready to post on Dottie's World this morning, but it was still half done when the time came to post it!

Triple EEK...will finish post and upload other pics later as I have just seen the time. Off to do school run......LOL....I wonder why I am not rake thin sometimes!

Right back home again, just had a photographer around, I've got a short while for a quick cuppa before I do dinner and get Jack to his school disco!!

As I was saying earlier before being so rudly interrupted by the clock...the above card was made to show on Dottie's World using a Christmas Download image.

I used the sketch on this week's Sketch Saturday.

Right, deep breath, that cuppa is calling!

Card number 4!

Been an awful day, had a multi agency meeting at the school today and my emotions are all over the place. I got home and shut myself away in my little room with my music blasting and my pwetty papers and ribbons flying everywhere...but achieving ......well, not a lot at all I am afraid.


I have managed to complete the card that has been sat on my desk "in progress" for a few days. Glad I never finished it actually as some scrummy new lace arrived and I used a snippet of it today to cheer myself up!




This is card number 4 of 8 I set myself to complete this week...but time, as always, is getting the better of me!

I made this using inspiration from;


Crafty Creations who want your creation to include Holiday Wishes!


Basic Grey Challenges where this week you need to make a creation using an aperture. I am using up scraps of one of what is becoming an all time Basic Grey favourite paper- Nathan from Oh Baby-Boy collection.

Card number 3!

Three down...five more cards to go! I was planning to do 2 a day this week but things just didn't go to plan this morning.



Anyway - at least I have done one and here it is! I followed the sketch on this week's Friday Sketchers. I used the wonderful new stamp from Toodles & Binks and I just adore it. Such wonderful detail to colour and shade-thank you Kay.

Oh my goodness....

....such wonderful fun and gorgeous blog candy about. Christmas has truely started early!!




Over on Dottie's World the wonderful Louise is celebrating her birthday with THREE people having a chance of winning a Charmed Download of their choice......a new collection is looming too so be sure to pop over to be in with a chance.

Also don't forget to join in with this week's challenge to not only be in with the chance of being our next Guest Designer but to also get yourself a great freebie download image Karaoke Dottie!

...and that's not all. Pop over to Jennie's blog to be in with a chance of DAILY blog candy for the run up to Christmas!!

Right, I am running out of time AGAIN! Must dash!

Serious Blog candy alert!!

There are some great advent festivities over at Katharina's blog. Pop over to take a closer look and to be in with a chance of some serious candy!!!

Card number 2!

Out of the 8 cards I have set myself a target for this week, here is card number 2!! I am trying to stamps images in the day, colout them in the evening and make up the cards the next day! Not sure my plan will work though! LOL

I have taken inspiration from two challnge blogs here;

ABC Challenge - S is for Snow!

and the Daring Card Makers - White ...and Pink Christmas!

whoo hoo, 2 down 6 more to go!